The present invention relates generally to shoulder harnesses for supporting gun holsters in an underarm position, and is particularly concerned with a connector piece for use in connecting straps in such harnesses.
The underarm shoulder holster for handguns dates back into the 19th century and is known to have been used in the Old West by gunfighters. One early U.S. Pat. No. 609,317 of Zimmerman, describes a harness for supporting an underarm holster which has one loop for suspending the holster under one arm of the wearer opposite the shooting hand, and another strap passing around the wearer's back to encircle the wearer's opposite arm at the shoulder level. With this design, there are no straps passing across the wearer's chest which could otherwise reveal that a handgun is being worn concealed by the wearer. This type of harness is generally referred to as the "open chest" harness.
The open chest harness is the current standard for underarm shoulder holsters, and is used extensively for handguns of all types, and by such handgun users as civilians, law enforcement personnel, military personnel, and other professionals who need to carry a concealed weapon. Its advantages are that it can make the holster concealable under a jacket, for example, and that it is relatively easy to put on and take off.
However, the current known types of open chest harness do have some disadvantages. One nagging problem has been that of the discomfort that it causes the wearer. The strap of leather, fabric, or elastic that passes around the arm opposite the holster (referred to as the "off arm") commonly chafes under the armpit. The heavier the combined weight of the handgun and holster is, and the more slippery the shoulder harness, the more the strap passing around the off-arm digs into the armpit. One technique which has been used in the past to avoid this problem is to fasten the strap to the wearer's belt below the arm, pulling the loop away from the armpit and avoiding chafing. However, the fastener for pulling the strap down can be relatively bulky, and bunching of the strap can also occur as it is pulled down.
Another problem in open chest harnesses is that, in any harness having a strap passing across the wearer's shoulders at the top of the spine and the base of the neck, pressure is applied by the strap at that point, which can cause nagging, continuous discomfort, thereby creating tension and fatigue in the wearer.
This problem has been overcome to some extent by crossing over the straps behind the wearer's back in an X shape. In U.S. Pat. No. 981,292 of Lewis, for example, instead of a single strap passing across the back at the top of the shoulders to connect the loops passing around each arm, the harness comprises a pair of straps which cross over at the wearer's back and pass over both shoulders with the ends being secured together beneath the wearer's arms. In order to reduce chafing under the wearer's arms, suitable fasteners secure the harness to the wearer's belt below the arms, to pull the straps downwardly away from the underarm region.
Many harnesses have been devised with X-crossed straps at the wearer's back, in some of which the straps are simply crossed over while remaining separate, and in others of which the straps are secured together at the cross over point. One example of the latter type of harness is U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,652 of Grant, in which first and second pairs of straps are secured together via a back connector piece.
Another disadvantage of these and other conventional shoulder harnesses is that they are either non- adjustable or not easily adjustable to wearers of different sizes. There is a very wide range of potential wearer sizes for shoulder harnesses, with research on police officers, who are among the most extensive users of shoulder harnesses, showing that a range of prospective wearer sizes extends from 5'5" to 6'4" in height and from 133 pounds to 261 pounds in weight, as well as chest sizes from 34" to 55". In order to accommodate this potential size range, while primarily designing shoulder holster harnesses to fit average size wearers, holster manufacturers have either provided harnesses in a range of different sizes, or provided harnesses which are adjustable via snap fasteners or the like. Typically, the latter variety are complicated and difficult to adjust, and often require either a helper to adjust the harness while it is worn, or removing and re-donning the harness repeatedly while a series of adjustments are made in attempting to reach an ideal fit. The adjustment mechanisms are also often bulky and thus reduce the chances of effectively concealing the harness.
Yet another problem with current shoulder harnesses is that they are typically designed to fit only right-handed or only left-handed wearers, requiring the manufacturer to make a range of different size harnesses for both right- and left-handed wearers. Some universal harnesses have been devised which can be adjusted for wear by a left- or right-handed wearer, with varying degrees of success. However, up to now no harness has been devised which can universally fit the entire range of users, both right- and left-handed, by a quick and easy adjustment.